I miss.....

Recently, I've been missing some people, more than usual.  Living in a city where I have no family, or at least no blood relatives, is definitely not an easy thing.  There are days when I wish I could just hop in my car and have dinner with my mom and dad, or have a piece of my grandmother's pie, or spend time with my brothers.  The reality is, that's just not possible.  Yes, there are only 5 hours away, but everyone has busy lives and jobs and responsibilities that make visits fewer than I would like.  Trips home (yes, I still call it "home") have to be planned.  Most trips home revolve around a holiday, which is great for seeing everyone, but not so great for actually spending quality time with them, if that makes sense.  It's difficult to really talk to people when there are over 20 of us crammed into my grandmother's house, including several small children.  Don't get me wrong, I love these holiday get-togethers, I just wish there was more time for catching up.

Thinking about how much I've been missing my family has led me to think about other things I have also been missing...

I miss sleeping!  I can't remember the last night I slept well.

I miss scrapbooking and many of the people I used to do it with.  I definitely need to get back into this hobby and find people to scrap with.

I miss some of the families and kids I used to work with as a Special Education teacher.  Thankfully, technology and Facebook have allowed us to keep in touch and reconnect!

I miss being able to fit into some of the cute clothes in my closet.  I'm hoping this will happen again soon though (I've lost 29 pounds so far...).

I miss some of the people, both staff and clients, at my old work site.  While the switch in job sites I made in April was the best thing I could have ever done, there are definitely a few people I wish I could see on a regular basis.

I miss the care-free days of college.  Why was I in such a rush to be a grown-up???

GBE 2 Challenge-Hidden

This is definitely not the easiest topic for me to write about, as I tend to be a pretty private person.  In thinking about what to write, I have realized that I keep many things in my life hidden from almost everyone.  Political feelings, what's going on in certain relationships in my life, the full stories behind things that have happened, diagnoses I've received, personal struggles, just to name a few.  I don't talk to many people about personal things, simply because there aren't many people I'm that comfortable with.  I think that's one of the reasons that I've always liked to write.  Writing has always been an outlet for me, a means of "talking" to someone about everything. 

That being said, there is one person in my life who knows absolutely everything there is to know, who has been there for me through thick and thin, who I would trust with my life.  I have the most amazing best friend in the world!  When there's big news in my life, she's the first one I usually tell.  We've been friends since 7th grade, having met in the halls of our extremely small school, and we clicked from day one and were pretty much inseparable.  Even though she changed schools halfway through 10th grade, we remained close, often spending weekends at each other's house.  We played softball for opposing schools, meeting on the sidelines after games to talk.  We talked on the phone on a regular basis.  After graduation, I moved to Rochester for college and she left for Virgina.  At that time, e-mail wasn't readily available like it is today, so we relied on old-fashioned letter-writing.  I always looked forward to getting mail from her and hearing about what was going on in her life, so far away.

Today, 20 years after high school graduation (yes, 20 years!!!), we are still the best of friends.  Time and distance haven't done anything to our relationship, and today, I feel like we are closer than ever.  I am thankful to have her in my life!!!  

Thank you, Kim, for everything you do for me, for all the love and support you give me, and for accepting me for exactly who I am!